Theodore cijetiss



(No Model.)

' T. CURTISS.

JOINT FOR CHAIRS.

Patented Feb. 19, 188 9.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @EETCE.

THEODORE CURTISS, OF READING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL I("IIRTISS, OF SAME PLACE.

JOINT FOR CHAIRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,899, dated February19, 1889.

Application filed May 21, 1888. Serial No. 274,551. (No model.)

To all wit-071D it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE OUR'rIss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reading, in the county of Hillsdale and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Ioints for Chairs,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in braces forchairs.

It is a well-known fact that it is almost impossible to make the jointsof a chair-frame strong enough to withstand the hard usage to which manypeople subject them. This is especially the case with the cheaperclasses of chairs in common use, which by many people are often inclinedbackward and forward in the manner of rocking-chairs, which brings thewhole weight of the sitter on the joints, and thereby soon loosens andbreaks the joints.

It is the object of my invention to provide a suitable brace tostrengthen the joints of such chairs in a simple and economical man ner,so that it will almost be impossible to weaken or destroy it by anyordinary hard usage.

To this end my invention consists in the peculiar manner of constructingand securing a wooden brace, as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation, and Figs. 2 and 3 are sect-ions on line as x and y g,respectively, in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through achai r-frame to which my improvement is applied.

A is one of the side bars of a chair-seat frame. B is the front leg. 0is the hind leg, and D is my chair-brace. This chair-brace consists of around disk of wood let into the corners of the chair-frame by cutting asuitable mortise therein of sufficient size to receive a portion of thedisk, as shown. This 5 mortise I preferably out after the frame isconnected in the usual way by means of any of the ordinary jointsemployed by the use of a rotary cutter-head which cuts into each side ofthe corner a segmental circular recess, of a size to receive a segmentof the wooden disk, and I then secure the disk in place by using nothingbut glue to .hold it, as it will be seen that when secured there is butlittle tendency of the disk to work out if the distance be- 5 5 tweenthe extreme points (z. and bet the brace is about equal to the length ofthe diameter of the disk or preferably a little less. The whole workinvolves less labor and expense than the use of any other brace, and inaddition thereto gives the corners thus braced a pleasing appearance,which may be further increased by ornamental work or the choice ofornamental woods, as fashion may decree. I preferably use these bracesin all vertical corners of the frame, as these are the ones mostaffected by rough usage. I do not intend to substitute my brace for theusual means for joining the parts of the frame together, but merely useit for providing addi- 7o tional strength and security thereto.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is In a chair-brace, a wooden disk securedin segmental circular mortises in the corners of a chair-frame,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 2d day of November, 1887.

THEODORE OURTISS.

"itnesses:

N. M. IIULBERT, .ToHN SCHUMAN.

